The false
Table of Contents
- Lemon is a method of dental whitening
The true
- The high acidity of the lemon demineralizes the dental enamel, makes it porous and favors the appearance of spots.
- The wear of the tooth enamel caused by the lemon leaves the dentin, a layer with more yellowish hue.
- Lemon increases vulnerability to caries and can cause sensitivity and dental erosion.
- Prolonged use of lemon in the teeth can cause severe damage to oral health.
Citizens usually have different reasons to bleach their teeth, the most common being aesthetics: a radiant smile. Given this need, different has been disseminated homemade toothplaces. Among the most popular is the version that lemon juice is useful for whitening and eliminating teeth spots. However, this method has “serious consequences on people oral health.”
On Facebook a video was disseminated that recommends mixing toothpaste with lemon juice to remove spots on the teeth and promises that “you will see your teeth shine.” The publication, which disseminates harmful information to people’s health exceeded 3.9 million views, obtained more than 38,000 reactions and was shared more than 4500 occasions.
Can lemon juice bleach or damage them?
According to scientific research “in vitro comparison of natural remedies to bleach the teeth and professional dental whitening systems”, 90 teeth extracted without caries were evaluated, which were cleaned and divided into six groups: sodium bicarbonate, activated carbon, strawberries, lemon juice, dental paste and a domestic whiter. After measuring the whitening by tone of enamel Of each sample, the researchers observed that the group treated with Lemon juice He showed a frosted white color, but also evidenced a porous effect on the enamel due to the demineralization of this layer, which is the hardest and protective of the tooth.
The study warns that, although lemon can produce initial whitening, if applied directly to the teeth within the oral cavity, acidity increases the microporosity of the enamel and facilitates the stainingthat is, the appearance of spots for the greater absorption of pigments from food, drinks, tobacco or other elements.
Along the same lines, in an interview for the Republic, the dentist surgeon Xiomara Vásquez Espinoza explained that the lemonrather than clarify, “destroy the first tooth layerwhich is the enamel. ”He indicated that this erosion can give the impression of a momentary laundering because the enamel loses minerals, reflects the light more and, being an acidic and abrasive substance, the lemon eliminates some superficial spots. However, he warned that, by wear out this protective layer, the dentin is exposed, which is naturally more yellowish.“ The tooth, but by destroying the first layer, are actually doing the opposite, ”Vásquez said.
To this is added the study “Topographic and radiographic evaluation of dental erosion. Part II: Effect of citrus fruit juices in human dentition”, in which adult human teeth were periodically exposed to citrus juices for 20 weeks. The researchers concluded that the Lemon juice It caused the most severe damage: loss of enamel, reduction of its height in different areas of the tooth and significant erosion – that is, the destruction of the dental tissue by action of chemicals – compared to orange and grapefruit.
What are the consequences of using lemon in the teeth?
The dentist surgeon warned that one of the main consequences of the use of lemon In teeth it is the increase in caries risk. He explained that the bacteria that cause this disease feed on the remains of food and sugars, and produce acids that wear out the enamel. By adding an external acid, such as the lemon, that effect is enhanced and the appearance of caries is facilitated. He also pointed out that frequent contact with lemon can generate dental sensitivity and irritate the gums due to its very acidic pH.
Conclusion
While the Lemon juice can give the impression of bleach the teeth At first, scientific evidence shows that its high acidity demineralizes enamel, makes it porous and facilitates the appearance of spots. Over time, this wear exposes the dentin – of more yellowish tone – and increases the vulnerability to caries, sensitivity and dental erosion. Consequently, lemon is not a safe blending method, but an element that in the long term can seriously damage oral health.
Therefore, the dentist Xiomara Vásquez recommended other safer dental clearance methods, based on the use of hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide.
